(The Center Square) – The two highest paid Boston police officers in 2021 received legal settlements of more than $1 million each, years after they were unlawfully terminated following a controversial drug testing program.
Former officers Richard Beckers and Jacqueline M. McGowan were paid $1.26 million and $1.25 million, respectively. The Center Square recently analyzed pay for city employees in Boston in 2021.
A long-running lawsuit over the termination of 10 Boston police officers between 2001 and 2007 ended with settlements for Beckers and McGowan. The 10 officers were fired after hair testing came back positive for cocaine use. The termination of four of those 10 officers was later upheld.
The other six fought for back pay and some sought reinstatement after a commission concluded the hair testing failed to meet the requirement for just cause termination, according to court records.
Of those six officers, four received back pay compensation payouts in 2017 and 2018, according to court records.
A spokesman said the Boston Police Department now uses urine analysis for drug testing instead of hair testing, which was disputed in the lawsuit.
